Claressa Shields facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Claressa Shields |
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Shields at Collision 2022
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| Born | Claressa Maria Shields March 17, 1995 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division |
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| Reach | 68 in (173 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Boxing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Jackson Wink MMA Academy (2020–present) (MMA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2017–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Claressa Maria Shields, born on March 17, 1995, is an amazing American athlete. She is famous as a professional boxer and also competes in mixed martial arts (MMA). Claressa has won many world championships in boxing across five different weight classes. This means she has held the top titles in several divisions, like light middleweight, middleweight, and super middleweight. She even holds the record for becoming a world champion in two and three different weight classes faster than any other boxer!
Many experts consider Claressa Shields to be one of the best female boxers in the world. She is one of only four boxers ever, male or female, to hold all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) in two different weight classes at the same time.
Before becoming a professional, Claressa had a fantastic amateur boxing career. She won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the middleweight division. This made her the first American boxer to win two Olympic medals in a row! She was also the youngest boxer at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. In 2018, she was named the Female Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Besides boxing, Claressa also competes in professional mixed martial arts, fighting in the Professional Fighters League.
Contents
Early Life and Boxing Beginnings
Claressa Shields grew up in Flint, Michigan. She was first introduced to boxing by her father, who had boxed before. When Claressa was eleven, she started training at the Berston Field House in Flint. There, she met her coach, Jason Crutchfield, who helped her learn and grow in the sport. Claressa often says that her grandmother encouraged her to follow her dreams and not let anyone tell her what she couldn't do because she was a girl.
Amateur Boxing Career
Claressa had a very successful amateur boxing career, which means she competed without getting paid, often for medals and recognition. She won two Junior Olympic championships early on. In 2011, she won the middleweight title at the National Police Athletic League Championships and was named the top overall fighter. This helped her qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
At the 2012 Olympic Trials, she beat several top boxers to win her middleweight class. She also won against a three-time world champion, Mary Spencer, in Canada, keeping her undefeated record at 25 wins and 0 losses at that time.
In May 2012, Claressa faced her first loss to Savannah Marshall of England. However, because Marshall did well in the tournament, Claressa still qualified for the 2012 Olympics. At just 17 years old, she won the gold medal in the women's middleweight division at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This was a huge moment, as she became the first American woman to ever win a boxing gold medal at the Olympics!
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In 2014, Claressa won a gold medal at the World Championships. The next year, she made history again by becoming the first American woman to win titles at both the Olympics and the Pan American Games. Because of her amazing performance at the 2015 Pan American Games, she was chosen to carry the U.S. flag at the closing ceremony.
Claressa continued her winning streak, earning another gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Qualifying tournament. Later that year, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she won her second Olympic gold medal in the women's middleweight division. She was also given the special Val Barker Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding boxer at the Olympics. Her two Olympic gold medals in a row made her the first American boxer to achieve this incredible feat.
By the end of her amateur career, Claressa had an impressive record of 64 wins and only 1 loss.
Professional Boxing Career
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In November 2016, Claressa Shields officially became a professional boxer, meaning she started fighting for money and world titles. She won her very first professional match.
On March 10, 2017, she made history again. Her fight was the main event on a TV show called ShoBox. This was the first time a women's boxing match was the main event on a major TV network in the United States! She won this fight by TKO (Technical Knockout), which means the referee stopped the fight to protect her opponent.
Claressa continued to win, collecting many championship belts. On August 4, 2017, she won the WBC and IBF super-middleweight titles. She won by TKO in the fifth round, showing her powerful skills.
She kept defending her titles and winning new ones. On June 22, 2018, in only her sixth professional fight, Claressa won the WBA and IBF middleweight belts. This broke a record for becoming a two-weight world champion in the fewest professional fights!
On April 13, 2019, Claressa Shields achieved a huge milestone. She became the undisputed women's middleweight world champion. This means she held all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) in the middleweight division at the same time. This was a nearly perfect victory for her.
She then moved down a weight class and, on January 10, 2020, became the fastest boxer ever, male or female, to win titles in three different weight divisions. Her fight had an all-female team of officials, including the referee.
On March 5, 2021, Claressa made history once more. She became the first boxer in the "four-belt era" to hold undisputed titles in two different weight classes. This means she was the undisputed champion in both the middleweight and light middleweight divisions!
In October 2022, Claressa had a highly anticipated fight against Savannah Marshall. This fight was a huge event, headlining the first all-female boxing card in the United Kingdom at the famous the O2 Arena. Claressa won the fight by unanimous decision, becoming the undisputed middleweight world champion once again.
Most recently, on July 27, 2024, Claressa Shields won the WBC and WBF female heavyweight titles, and the vacant WBO light heavyweight title, by TKO in the second round. This shows her ability to compete and win across many different weight classes.
Professional Mixed Martial Arts Career
In November 2020, Claressa Shields decided to try a new challenge and signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to compete in mixed martial arts (MMA). MMA combines different fighting styles like boxing, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. To prepare, she started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and at a well-known MMA gym called JacksonWink MMA.
Claressa made her MMA debut on June 10, 2021, and won her first fight by technical knockout in the third round. She had another fight later that year, which she lost by a close decision.
In August 2023, Claressa signed a new contract with the PFL, showing her commitment to continue competing in MMA. On February 24, 2024, she won her third MMA fight by split decision.
Personal Life
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Claressa Shields is from Flint, Michigan. She found strength in her Christian faith and is very open about it.
Claressa is also an ambassador for Up2Us Sports, an organization that helps young people by providing them with coaches who teach positive life skills. She is also a strong supporter of gender equality in sports, especially in boxing, where she believes female athletes deserve more recognition.
Awards
Claressa Shields has received many awards for her incredible achievements:
- In 2017, she won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Award for "Biggest Powerhouse."
- In 2018, she was added to the USA Boxing Alumni Association's Hall of Fame.
- The Boxing Writers Association of America gave her the 2018 Christy Martin Award for Female Fighter of the Year.
- In 2023, Claressa became the first woman to win the Best Boxer ESPY Award, a very prestigious honor in sports.
Images for kids
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Shields at Collision 2022
